Multiple aspects of communication in a diverse communication network

ABSTRACT

A multi-wide area network (WAN) incorporating both satellite-based communication networks and cellular networks (e.g., an LTE network) is disclosed. In one embodiment, the WAN is implemented with a communications framework comprising: an edge appliance comprising a satellite modem interconnect for coupling to a satellite modem external to the edge appliance, a cellular modem interconnect for coupling to a cellular modem external to the edge appliance, a switch coupled to the satellite and cellular modem interconnects, and a processing node coupled to the switch and comprising a router to switch traffic between the satellite modem interconnect and the cellular modem interconnect when the edge appliance communicates with a public data network using a satellite link or a terrestrial cellular link, respectively; and a connectivity platform configured for connection to the edge appliance, the connectivity platform comprising a broker/integrator component configured to operate as a broker and an integrator between the edge appliance and both connectivity service providers and business support systems that perform subscription management to enable the edge appliance access to the satellite and terrestrial cellular links.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a non-provisional application of and claimsthe benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/796,443, filedon Jan. 24, 2019 and entitled “MULTIPLE ASPECTS OF COMMUNICATION IN ADIVERSE COMMUNICATION NETWORK”, which is incorporated by reference inits entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention are related to wireless communication; moreparticularly, embodiments of the invention are related to using multiplewireless communication networks to enable routing of data between anedge appliance and a data network, including switching to supportmobility of the edge appliance by maintaining a connection to the datanetwork.

BACKGROUND

Generally described, computing devices and communication networks can beutilized to exchange data and/or information. In a common application, acomputing device can request content from another computing device viathe communication network. For example, a user at a personal computingdevice can utilize a browser application to request a content page(e.g., a network page, a Web page, etc.) from a server computing devicevia the network (e.g., the Internet). In such embodiments, the usercomputing device can be referred to as a client computing device and theserver computing device can be referred to as a content provider.

Content providers provide requested content to client computing devicesoften with consideration of efficient transmission of the requestedcontent to the client computing device and/or consideration of a costassociated with the transmission of the content. For larger scaleimplementations, a content provider may receive content requests from ahigh volume of client computing devices which can place a strain on thecontent provider's computing resources. Additionally, the contentrequested by the client computing devices may have a number ofcomponents, which can further place additional strain on the contentprovider's computing resources. Content providers often consider factorssuch as latency of delivery of requested content in order to meetservice level agreements or the quality of delivery service.

A communication network can include a plurality of user devices, such asmobile computing devices, communicating via a wireless communicationnetwork. In such wireless communication network approaches, the contentprovider can provision infrastructure equipment that facilitates thattransmission of data by implementing a specified wireless interfacestandard. For example, cellular wireless communication networks aretypically characterized as supporting communications via variouscombinations a combination of 3G, 4G, LTE, or 5G wireless air interfacestandards. Other wireless networks can implement shorter range wirelessstandards, such as Wi-Fi, which enable communications with computingdevices within shorter physical proximity to the network equipment.

In some wireless communication networks, one or more computing devicesmay have capabilities to transmit data or facilitate communicationfunctionality via diverse wireless communication networks, such as acellular network and a non-cellular network (e.g., Wi-Fi). For voicecall functionality, in some embodiments, when a voice over LTE (VoLTE)call is placed from a mobile device, the mobile device sets up adedicated bearer to an LTE network (e.g., cellular network) so that thecommunication channel providing the voice call is protected.

Content or wireless service providers have moved data communicationsfrom the cellular LTE network and onto public and private non-cellularWi-Fi networks. In one example, a Voice Over Wi-Fi (VoWIFI) has beendeveloped to support voice call functionality in non-cellular wirelessnetworks. From the perspective of the cellular wireless network serviceprovider, all noncellular wireless networks, regardless of private orpublic, are considered untrusted for purposes of security. Accordingly,implementation of a Wi-Fi offloading, such as VoWIFI, requiresestablishment of a secure tunnel (e.g., IPSEC) over the Wi-Fi network tothe cellular network infrastructure equipment. Such approacheseffectively create a trusted connection between the mobile device and anappliance on the home LTE network, generally called the evolved packetdata gateway (ePDG). Once that secure tunnel is established, the datacorresponding to the “voice call” can be either initiated, ororiginated, on the untrusted Wi-Fi network or an established call can bemigrated from the cellular network (e.g., the LTE network) onto thenon-cellular network (e.g., the Wi-Fi network). Because of the need touse a secure tunnel, the non-cellular network (e.g., the Wi-Fi network)is in use as the transport network/platform for the voice call datacommunications. However, the voice call can be terminated ortransitioned back over only to the trusted cellular network (e.g., theLTE network). Accordingly, current implementations of cellular networksand non-wireless cellular networks do not have capabilities forsupporting switching (e.g., hand-offs) between non-trusted wirelessnetworks.

Similar issues arise with communications associated with communicationsvia a cellular network and other types of wireless networks, such assatellite-based wireless networks. For example, a cellular network(e.g., an LTE network) treats a satellite-based wireless networkconnection as untrusted (similar to a Wi-Fi-based wireless network). Ina manner similar to discussed above, when the backhaul of the networkchanges from the one that it initially used to setup the IPSEC tunnel toa different transport link, the IPSEC tunnel will collapse and the callwill drop.

Generally, under current approaches, infrastructure providers, theservice providers, and the standards do not provide for call failoverbetween multiple untrusted networks. In some applications, link bondingrouters provide a seamless experience as all transport links areeffectively bonded between the user router and an endpoint. However, as100% of the traffic is bonded and transmitted through a secure tunnel,this causes inefficiencies in network traffic. This solution routesspecific traffic only through the single session tunnel while othertraffic such as disruption tolerant traffic (e.g., web browsing, filetransfer, email, buffered streaming, etc.) can be routed through thetypical transport routes.

However, communications require infrastructure. Terrestrialcommunications (e.g., LTE and 5G), which rely on a fixed network oftowers and radios, may become unreliable during a disaster. Physicaldamage to cell sites or network congestion can lead to reducedperformance.

There has been a renewed focus on building resilient and protectedcellular networks that give responders priority on the network and onesthat implement rapidly deployable infrastructure to mitigate physicaldamage. Reliance on terrestrial networks alone is simply not enough insituations when the network must work.

Advances in non-terrestrial satellite networks have been made. Theseinclude the introduction of new electronically-scanned antennas based ona diffractive metamaterials concept referred to herein as MetamaterialSurface Antenna Technology (MSAT). Illustratively, the MSAT enableselectronic scanning from a single flat panel with no moving parts. Byusing liquid crystals as a tunable dielectric at microwave frequencies,a MSAT antenna structure facilitates large angle (>75°) beam scanningand fast tracking (>30°/second). This enables high-throughputconnectivity to satellites from even the smallest moving platforms withlittle to no operator intervention.

The MSAT antenna structure has been deployed around the world onplatforms ranging from two-seat all-terrain vehicles, small inflatableboats, super yachts, tractors, passenger vehicles, and first respondervehicles. Operationally, once the terminal is powered on, an internalglobal positioning system (GPS) receiver and inertial measurement unit(IMU) determine the position and the attitude of the antenna. Fromthere, the antenna automatically determines the location, frequency, andpolarization of the optimal satellite to track, and forms an electronicbeam to that satellite. As the vehicle moves, continuous inputs are madeto the tracking algorithm on the antenna so that the beam stays lockedon the satellite.

SUMMARY

A multi-wide area network (WAN) incorporating both satellite-basedcommunication networks and cellular networks (e.g., an LTE network) isdisclosed. In one embodiment, the WAN is implemented with acommunications framework comprising: an edge appliance comprising asatellite modem interconnect for coupling to a satellite modem externalto the edge appliance, a cellular modem interconnect for coupling to acellular modem external to the edge appliance, a switch coupled to thesatellite and cellular modem interconnects, and a processing nodecoupled to the switch and comprising a router to switch traffic betweenthe satellite modem interconnect and the cellular modem interconnectwhen the edge appliance communicates with a public data network using asatellite link or a terrestrial cellular link, respectively; and aconnectivity platform configured for connection to the edge appliance,the connectivity platform comprising a broker/integrator componentconfigured to operate as a broker and an integrator between the edgeappliance and both connectivity service providers and business supportsystems that perform subscription management to enable the edgeappliance access to the satellite and terrestrial cellular links. In oneembodiment, the processing node of the appliance is configured to switchbetween use of the satellite and terrestrial cellular links when theedge appliance is mobile to maintain a connection to the data network.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

The present invention will be understood more fully from the detaileddescription given below and from the accompanying drawings of variousembodiments of the invention, which, however, should not be taken tolimit the invention to the specific embodiments, but are for explanationand understanding only.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of an edge appliance.

FIG. 2A illustrates one embodiment of a connectivity framework for whichan edge appliance is part.

FIG. 2B illustrates another embodiment of a platform that includesmultiple enclaves.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of IP packet reassembly.

FIG. 4A illustrates a network framework that includes a software-definedwide area network (SD-WAN).

FIG. 4B illustrates an edge appliance with a software-defined router.

FIG. 5 depicts one embodiment of an architecture for an illustrativecomputing device for implementing various aspects of the edge routingfunctionality of an edge appliance.

FIG. 6 illustrates the schematic of one embodiment of a cylindricallyfed holographic radial aperture antenna.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of one row of antenna elementsthat includes a ground plane and a reconfigurable resonator layer.

FIG. 8A illustrates one embodiment of a tunable resonator/slot.

FIG. 8B illustrates a cross section view of one embodiment of a physicalantenna aperture.

FIGS. 9A-D illustrate one embodiment of the different layers forcreating the slotted array.

FIG. 10 illustrates a side view of one embodiment of a cylindrically fedantenna structure.

FIG. 11 illustrates another embodiment of the antenna system with anoutgoing wave.

FIG. 12 illustrates one embodiment of the placement of matrix drivecircuitry with respect to antenna elements.

FIG. 13 illustrates one embodiment of a TFT package.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a communication systemhaving simultaneous transmit and receive paths.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous details are set forth to providea more thorough explanation of the present invention. It will beapparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present inventionmay be practiced without these specific details. In other instances,well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form,rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the presentinvention.

A multi-wide area network (WAN) incorporating both satellite-basedcommunication networks and cellular networks (e.g., an LTE network) isdisclosed. In one embodiment, the multi-WAN network provides access toone or more data networks. In one embodiment, the data network comprisesa public data network, such as, for example, the Internet. In oneembodiment, the access is provided via satellite communication orcellular communication. In one embodiment, the satellite communicationis in the form of the MSAT connecting to geosynchronous satellites. Inone embodiment, the satellite communication connection is via Ku- orKa-bands, though the techniques disclosed herein are not limited to theuse of those bands. Satellite networks are considered reliable andresilient, and commercial cellular networks have been deployed across amajority of the developed and developing world and cover a significantportion of the world's populated areas. Combining the benefits of thelow-cost and high-performance cellular network with the reliability andresilience of the satellite network leads to anytime and anywhereconnectivity.

A communications framework to support the multi-WAN network isdisclosed. In one embodiment, the communication framework comprises anedge appliance and a connectivity platform configured for connection tothe edge appliance. In one embodiment, the edge appliance comprises asatellite modem interconnect for coupling to a satellite modem externalto the edge appliance, a cellular modem interconnect for coupling to acellular modem external to the edge appliance, a switch coupled to thesatellite and cellular modem interconnects, and a processing nodecoupled to the switch and having a router to switch traffic between thesatellite modem interconnect and the cellular modem interconnect whenthe edge appliance communicates with a public data network using asatellite link or a terrestrial cellular link, respectively.

In one embodiment, the edge appliance is communicably connected to asatellite link using the satellite modem interconnect and to aterrestrial cellular link using cellular modem interconnect whenswitching traffic being communicated between the edge appliance and thepublic data network. In one embodiment, the edge appliance issimultaneously connected to a satellite link and to a terrestrialcellular link. In one embodiment, the router is configured to switchtraffic from routing on one network to the other (e.g., switching from asatellite-based network to a cellular network or vice versa) based onconditions of the satellite link and the terrestrial cellular link. Inone embodiment, the conditions comprise link performance metrics.

In one embodiment, the edge appliance further comprises a communicationinterface for access by a local network. In one embodiment, thecommunication interface comprises a Bluetooth interface, a Wi-Fiinterface and/or a direct Ethernet interface.

In one embodiment, the connectivity platform comprises abroker/integrator component configured to operate as a broker and anintegrator between the edge appliance and both connectivity serviceproviders and business support systems that perform subscriptionmanagement to enable the edge appliance access to the satellite andterrestrial cellular networks for use in communicating with a datanetwork (e.g., a public data network (e.g., the Internet)).

In one embodiment, the connectivity platform comprises a cloud-basedmicroservices architecture that utilizes microservices that are part ofa larger application and are performed autonomously. In one embodiment,the microservices provide virtual network functions (VNFs). In oneembodiment, the VNFs comprise wide area network (WAN) optimization,content management, and/or dynamic routing policies for the edgeappliance.

In one embodiment, the microservices architecture comprises a networkmanagement enclave for making routing decisions for the edge appliancebased on traffic shaping and steering. In one embodiment, the trafficshaping and steering is based on content and/or data type. In oneembodiment, the traffic shaping and steering comprises software-definedwide area network (SD-WAN) traffic shaping and steering. In oneembodiment, the software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) trafficshaping and steering is operable to identify traffic demand for a typeof content and determine whether the satellite link or the terrestrialcellular link is to route that type of content.

In one embodiment, the microservices architecture comprises a pluralityof enclaves configured to control the edge appliance via a directinterface to the broker/integrator component. In one embodiment, theplurality of enclaves comprises a network management enclave to providenetwork management for interfacing the edge appliance to the public datanetwork, including logic to make routing decisions for the edgeappliance based on traffic shaping and steering, an applicationmanagement enclave to provide data management and content management forinterfacing the edge appliance to the public data network, and asecurity management enclave to provide security management forinterfacing the edge appliance to the public data network.

In one embodiment, the communications framework further comprises asatellite terminal having a satellite modem and an electronicallyscanned antenna aperture coupled to the satellite modem. In oneembodiment, the electronically scanned antenna comprises ametasurface-based electronically scanned antenna, such as, for example,those described in further detail below. In another embodiment, theelectronically scanned antenna comprises a phased array-based antenna.In yet another embodiment, the satellite terminal includes a flat panelantenna other than those described above or another type of well-knownsatellite antenna, such as, for example, but not limited to a gimbaled,parabolic dish antenna. a software defined antenna, etc.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of an edge appliance. Referring toFIG. 1 , edge appliance 100 includes edge processing node 101 that iscoupled to switch 102. Switch 102 is coupled to one or more cellularmodules 104 for connecting to cellular networks via cellular antennas121. Switch 102 is also coupled to an external satellite modem 103,which is used to connect to satellite-based networks using satelliteapertures. Switch 102 is also coupled to a LAN interface 110 forcoupling to a local area network (LAN) via a wire connection and to aWi-Fi interface that is used to connecting to a user via user Wi-Fiantenna 122 or to a WAN via antenna 123 using Wi-Fi application 107.

Edge processing node 101 controls performance of the edge routerfunction to route data using the satellite and cellular-based networks.In one embodiment, edge processing node 101 enables access to contentvia public data networks through satellite and cellular modeminterconnections to satellite modem 103 and a cellular modem associatedwith cellular modules 104. This enables edge appliance 100 to maintaincontact with a data network through terrestrial links or non-terrestrialsatellite links. When there is a connection from the data networkthrough a non-terrestrial link, satellite modem 103 is coupled to asatellite antenna. When maintaining contact to the network through aterrestrial cellular link, cellular modules 104 provide a connection viaLTE or another cellular based modem and their associated antennas.

Edge processing node 101 includes the routing logic to control switch102 to switch traffic between the available networks (e.g.,satellite-based network and cellular-based network). In one embodiment,the routing logic of the edge processing node 101 switches trafficbetween the networks based on conditions. In one embodiment, edgeprocessing node 101 uses conditions of the link associated with linkperformance metrics (e.g., latency, packet loss, jitter, etc.) toperform routing of data using the available networks. In one embodiment,edge processing node 101 performs automatic switching and trafficshaping based on the conditions such as, for example, link performancemetrics. The routing logic and function of edge processing node 101 isdescribed in more detail below.

In one embodiment, edge appliance 100 utilizes a software-defined widearea network (SD-WAN) 150 as part of maintaining contact to the datanetwork through the terrestrial cellular links and non-terrestrialsatellite link. In one embodiment, edge processing node 101 interfaceswith SD-WAN 150 via hypervisor 140. In one embodiment, SD-WAN 150enables access to virtual network functions (VNFs) 151 associated withvirtual machines 152 to add additional controls to the routing functionsperformed by edge processing node 101. In one embodiment, the additionalVNFs for which SD-WAN provides access include functions such as trafficshaping and steering on behalf of the edge processing node 101. In oneembodiment, the traffic shaping and steering may be based on content anddata type. In one embodiment, the SD-WAN 150 provides access tofunctions that identify traffic demand and determine the base availabletransport network for which to route the specific of type of traffic. Inone embodiment, the traffic demand is based on the type of content thatis being routed. For example, in one embodiment, the SD-WAN logic routesdifferent types of content over different transport networks. In oneembodiment, the determination of the best available transport networkfor which to route a specific type of traffic is based on artificialintelligence (AI) and machine/deep learning. Thus, SD-WAN 150 providesaccess to a cloud-based infrastructure that helps edge processing node101 with routing decisions.

In one embodiment, the edge compute infrastructure is integrated intothe connectivity platform. FIG. 2A illustrates connectivity framework200 for which the edge appliance (e.g., edge appliance 100 at FIG. 1 )is part. Referring to FIG. 2A, connectivity framework 200 is uniquelypartitioned into three partitions: a business support system (BSS) stack201, an operation and support systems (OSS) stack 202, and aconnectivity services (CS) stack 203. In one embodiment, BSS stack 201comprises a subscription management platform that includesaccounts/billing module 252, payment processing module 253, customerrelationship management (CRM) module (e.g., Salesforce CRM software)251, an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) module (e.g., Oraclesoftware) 254 and MFG module (e.g., Arena software) 255. In oneembodiment, each of these modules is implemented with software executingon one or more processors. In one embodiment, the BSS stack 201 locatedin the cloud and connects to OSS stack 202 using an interface tocomponent integrator/broker 210 of OSS stack 202.

CS stack 203 includes the number of components that interface directlyto component-integrator/broker 210. These include a satellite serviceoperator service (SSO) aggregator/network management system (NMS) 232that is communicably coupled to one or more satellite system operators(SSOs) 231. SD-WAN 234 is also coupled directly tocomponent-integrator/broker 210. The mobile virtual network operatoraggregator (MVNOA) 235, which is communicably coupled one or more mobilenetwork operators (MNOn) 236, is also coupled directly tocomponent-integrator/broker 210.

With this partitioning, component-integrator/broker 210 bridges theterrestrial and non-terrestrial networks interface to the connectivityplatform. In one embodiment, component-integrator/broker 210 is coupledto a network operations center (NOC) 211, which in turn is coupled to acustomer service/support module (external to platform 200) and aticketing system 213. In one embodiment, NOC 211 is also coupled tosecurity operations center/integrated operations center (SOC/IOC) (e.g.,SOC/IOC 214 of FIG. 2B).

Component-integrator/broker 210 is also coupled to the edge appliancesthrough Partner/Customer Portal 240, such as, for example, edgeappliance 261. Edge appliance 261 is communicably coupled to one or moreantennas (e.g., satellite antennas, cellular antennas, etc.) that are inthe remote fleet (e.g., vehicles, boats, etc.) 260. In one embodiment,Partner/Customer Portal 240 interfaces to vehicles that contain the edgeappliances with its interconnections to the satellite-based and cellularnetworks. These vehicles may be part of fleets. In one embodiment, theedge appliances, such as edge appliance 261, communicate toPartner/Customer Portal 240 via a management interface (MI) 241. In oneembodiment, MI 241 allows users of different hierarchies and functionssuch as, fleet managers, value-added reseller (VAR), and field servicerepresentative (FSR) to activate/deactivate services, view and changesubscriptions, view current and historical usage, submits tickets/CScalls, and perform installation and provisioning based on a definedpolicy applied to that user type.

FIG. 2B illustrates another embodiment of a connectivity framework.Referring to FIG. 2B, connectivity framework 205 includes many of thesame elements that are part of connectivity framework 200. However,connectivity framework 205 also includes multiple enclaves. In oneembodiment, each of the functions in the enclaves is performed by amicroservice as part of a microservice architecture (MSA). That is,these enclaves include logic that executes microservices associated withthe MSA to perform functions using autonomous agents for the platform onbehalf of the edge appliances. These microservices are application-basedfunctions that are executed by one or more processors (e.g., processingcores). In one embodiment, the one or more processors (e.g., processingcores) are part of one or more virtual machines executing in acloud-based environment.

In one embodiment, a network management environment directly interfacesto integrator/broker 210 and includes a network management enclave 270.In one embodiment, the network management enclave 270 includes the callstack logic 271 for maintaining a call stack, traffic steering logic 272to perform traffic steering, Wi-Fi as WAN logic 273 for enabling WANWi-Fi access, SD-WAN logic 274 for facilitating a SD-WAN, compressionagent 275 for performing compression relates functions, contentmanagement logic 276 for performing content management, and an expressroute logic 277 for performing routing.

In one embodiment, an application environment includes an applicationmanagement enclave 280 that is interfaces directly to theintegrator/broker 210. In one embodiment, the application managementenclave includes utility services 281, data management services 282, andcontent management services 283.

In one embodiment, a security environment includes a security managementenclave 290 that is directly interfaced to the integrator/broker 210. Inone embodiment, security management enclave 290 includes logic forperforming key management 291, data security 292 and network security293.

Also, in FIG. 2B, the MVNOA 235 and SSOA/NMS 232 are part of platform200 and interface with one or more MNOs and one or more SSOs,respectively.

Edge Appliance Functionality

To fully realize a seamless and connected multi-WAN, embodimentsdescribed herein provide for one or more components with functionalitywithin one or more communication networks to determine how to route thedata using the available wireless communication networks. In oneembodiment, the edge appliance determines which available wirelesscommunication network to use to route the data. If only one network isavailable, then edge appliance selects the available network to routethe data. If no network is available, the edge appliance does not routethe data and the communication attempt fails (e.g., if there is aprohibited network communication). In one embodiment, if multiple,diverse networks are available for data connectivity, the edge applianceimplements decision making logic to select data connectivity.

The ability to operate anywhere, regardless of fixed coverage,represents a significant improvement in operational efficiency. Thedemand on individuals that are part of remote fleets is alsosignificantly reduced since no additional training or tools are neededto use the multi-WAN itself—it is automatic. This solution allows suchindividuals to effectively operate anywhere, without having to considerexisting network coverage.

In one embodiment, the edge appliance is configured to performdatalink-aware routing. That is, in one embodiment, the edge applianceselects individual wireless communication networks to route data basedon the type of traffic and/or content. Thus, the edge appliance does notconsider all network traffic equal or the same for purposes of selectingnetwork routing. For example, if the underlying data or the applicationgenerating the data is characterized by the service provider asrequiring instant sharing, the edge appliance may select a particularwireless communication network that meets the needs for instant sharing.In another example, if the underlying data or application generating thedata is characterized as functioning poorly on a higher latency networkconnection (e.g., satellite-based wireless network), then the edgeappliance may select a particular wireless communication network with alower latency (e.g., a cellular communication network). In anotherexample, the underlying data or application generating the data may becharacterized as latency tolerant but requires the ultra-highreliability and dependability. Accordingly, the edge appliance selects asatellite-based wireless connection. In yet another example, if the edgeappliance is in an environment that is moving, such as a vehicle, one ormore wireless communication networks may be unavailable because the edgeappliance is outside the cover area (e.g., outside the coverage area ofa functional cellular network (e.g., an LTE network)) and thus, the edgeappliance decides to route the data via an available satellite-basednetwork. If the cellular network is re-established or considered to bewithin a threshold of stability, the edge appliance may determine toswitch back to use the cellular network to route the data.

By making data-aware routing decisions, the router or routing functionof the edge appliance discovers or has access to information thatidentifies communication network availability (e.g., satellite, wireless(e.g., 5G) connection, etc.) and individual communication linkcharacteristics, and determines attributes of at least a subset of linksor all the links, defined according to a set of criteria. Based on thecharacteristics of the data and whether it meets the characteristics ofthe communication link or links that can be used to route the data, theedge appliance makes a data-aware routing decision. Note that the databeing transferred may be characterized according to the applicationgenerating the data. For example, if an emergency application ischaracterized as requiring low latency transmission channels, then datagenerated by the application could be attributed with the samecharacterizations as the application. In one embodiment, the edgeappliance makes a routing decision based on a different characterizationof the data. For example, in one embodiment, the edge appliancedesignates data as being of high importance, regular importance, or lowimportance and then selects a wireless communication network to routethe data based on that characterization.

In one embodiment, the edge appliance, using its router or routinglogic, is able to divide up the data for routing and route that trafficusing multiple communication links. In one embodiment, the edgeappliance is configured with a static radio-aware router that isconfigured or discovers parameters of the different available links andincludes routing logic that can decide to combine communications usingmultiple links to route data.

In one embodiment, the edge appliance has a router or routing logic thatuses different services, such as, for example, artificial intelligence(AI) and machine learning/deep learning services, to perform linkselection so that connectivity is maintained (e.g., connectivity with apublic data network). For example, the edge appliance implementsdecision making logic, such as executed in conjunction with a machinelearning algorithm, to enhance over-the-horizon navigation connectivityby collecting the connectivity history of a fleet and informing the userin the fleet or administrator of the upcoming communications landscape.For example, if a vehicle with the edge appliance is moving to locationX and the last time a vehicle moved to that location, it lost a type ofcommunication link (e.g., a satellite link), the decision-making logicof router of the edge appliance may determine to switch the connectionof the vehicle before it reaches location X to maintain connectivity.That is, the decision-making logic in the router of the edge applianceis configured to maintain connection to the public data network byswitching traffic between the satellite or terrestrial cellular linksprior to when the edge appliance arrives at location X in response topredicting that a connection to either the satellite link or theterrestrial cellular link will not be available when the edge applianceis at location X. This predictive switching between satellite andcellular networks maximizes availability and in one embodiment is basedon pattern-of-life information. This information can include, forexample, the satellite terminal having information (or access thereto)of where the line-of-site to the satellite is lost, and knowing ahead oftime that a switch to terrestrial cellular link will be made at or verynear that location (e.g., a bridge, building, trees along anestablished/predictable route, etc.). In another example, if the edgeappliance is aware that pushing a particular video through theconnection may result in packet loss, the decision-making logic of therouter can characterize the potential for loss a priori and implement arouting decision based on the characterization.

Thus, using datalink-aware routing, the edge appliance is able to routecertain types of data over particular links while maintainingconnectivity.

In one embodiment, the edge appliance divides network traffic and routesit over multiple different communication links. In such as case, in oneembodiment, IP bonding is used to enable reassembly of the data. FIG. 3illustrates an example of IP packet reassembly. In accordance with IPbonding, packets are reassembled in a specific order. Referring to FIG.3 , IP bonding uses bonded latency where, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the reassembly process waits 700 ms to re-assemble 1-3 into one packetand then waits another 700 ms for the next packet (e.g., 4, 5, 6) beforereassembly.

In one embodiment, the edge appliance is able to use both the satellitelink and the terrestrial link simultaneously such that both are used toroute data at the same time. This may involve using the same antenna ordifferent antennas. This enables the edge appliance to route datacorrectly over multiple communication paths while maintaining the mostconnectivity possible. Rather than switching and breaking sessions andclosing and reopening tunnels when switching to a different link, theedge appliance makes this seamless.

In one embodiment, the edge appliance operates in a network with thecarrier aggregation and the uplink and downlink communications pathshave different owners. For example, one owner may own part of thespectrum and another owner owns the other part. These parts of thespectrum may or may not be contiguous.

In one embodiment, the edge appliance makes content-specific routingdecisions. In this case, rather than splitting up data into individualpackets of data, the edge appliance sends data over one network or theother based on the data's content. For example, in one embodiment, theedge appliance divides data content by sessions, and the data for eachdifferent session is routed over different links, such assatellite-based routing, LTE cellular, etc. In one embodiment, the edgeappliance's router or routing logic determines that both links areavailable (e.g., satellite and cellular links or more are available) androutes the data over both links based on the content. For example, inone embodiment, if content is latency-tolerant, like an email or filetransfer or download, the edge appliance selects one link, while if thecontent isn't latency resilient and requires real-time routing, the edgeappliance routes it over a lower latency link.

In one embodiment, the edge appliance includes an edge router androuting logic to perform backhaul-aware routing. In this embodiment, therouter determines the processing under which the data is to undergo anduses that determination as a factor in selecting the communication linkfor routing.

Generally, a vehicle can generate or access information related to thecurrent environment. In one embodiment, the vehicle accesses sensorsthat determine whether a rate of travel exceeds the speed limit. In oneembodiment, the edge appliance learns status information about thevehicle (e.g., what the vehicle is currently doing) and its router makerouting decisions on connectivity based on this status information. Forexample, a first responder vehicle knows that when the responder flipsthe lights and sirens on, it means the vehicle is responding to anincident, and the router knows that when the lights are on, the vehicleis responding to an incident and can keep routing data over on satellitelink (e.g., the most reliable network) because the responders needconstant communication.

In one embodiment, the edge appliance includes a control architecturethat allows a user to influence control of the routing decisions of theedge appliance. In one embodiment, the control impacts content-routingdecisions of the edge appliance. Such an arrangement allows individualusers or groups of users to define attributes of the communicationnetworks used for routing data. In turn, the router or routing logic ofthe edge appliance can process the information as part of the contentrouting decisions. For example, a vehicle may be provided with hardwareor software that generates a command/request to switch connectivity todifferent networks in contrast to the network that is currently routingthe data (e.g., switch to a satellite network earlier). In anotherexample, a user sets the controls to keep connectivity and activity at alowest price, and the edge router of the edge appliance uses thisinformation to make sure its data routing is at the lowest price. In yetanother example, a user of the platform may choose between twocharacteristics, such as, for example, consistent latency over variablelatency (e.g., quality of service (QoS)) as the routing priority or mayselect from categories of communication (e.g., quality, performance,etc.) in which the individual routing attributes are not selected butare abstracted. In either of these cases, the edge router of the edgeappliance uses this information to make sure its data routing is inaccordance with the user-specified control information. In oneembodiment, the edge appliance receives this user-specified controlinformation over a user interface (e.g., a wireless interface (e.g.,Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.), a wired interface (e.g., direct Ethernet)).

In one embodiment, as mentioned above, network function virtualization(NFV) is provided. In NFV, the routing of data is partitioned intomultiple portions and routing decision are conducted based onpartitions. One partition or division of the network can be low latency,while another involving user data, etc. can be routed into differentslices according to different virtual networks in the 5G network. Eachslice has different characteristics (e.g., different priorities). Inthis embodiment, the edge appliance allocates which network link can beselected based on latency tolerance, price, network function (e.g.,vehicle-to-vehicle, infotainment, machine to machine, etc.), ability ofthe data to be divided easily into different network functions, etc. Inthe edge appliance, the router understands the characteristics of thetraffic and uses that to feed the traffic into the 5G system.

In one embodiment, the edge router of the edge appliance is implementedin a vehicle and uses a software-defined WAN router (SD-WAN) to makerouting decisions to determine which path to route user data to a publicdata network (e.g., Internet). In one embodiment, the use of an SD-WANensures that there is always a connection to the Internet via the mostoptimized network currently available. As the physical networks changeas the edge appliance is moving (when part of a vehicle), the SD-WAN'snetwork routing adjusts and re-optimizes. In one embodiment, the SD-WANmonitors link health of possible routes to the Internet and chooses themost applicable route at any given time.

FIG. 4A illustrates an SD-WAN (SDWR) between the user and vehiclenetworks and the backhaul networks to enable switching and routing.Referring to FIG. 4A, edge appliance 410 with the SD-WAN uses asatellite link via a satellite terminal 401 to connect to a GEO/LEOsatellite 402 to access a data network, such as the Internet 405, viahub 403 and satellite ground station 404. The SD-WAN uses a cellularlink via a cellular link 408 (e.g., LTE, 5G, etc.) via base station 407to access the Internet 405, via MVNO/MNO core 406. The routing tofacilitate access to the Internet by the SD-WAN enables routing of datato and from one or more users, such as users 409 and 411.

FIG. 4B illustrates an edge appliance with a software-defined router.Referring to FIG. 4B, the edge appliance includes software-definedrouter 425 along with an antenna 421 and an operating system 422 (e.g.,QNX). Software-defined router 425 receives satellite link statistics 429and cellular (e.g., 4G/5G/LTE) link statistics 424 and analyzes thosestatistics to select either a satellite link, via the virtual networkadaptor 426 and the satellite interconnect 428 or a cellular link, viathe virtual network adaptor 426 and the cellular interconnect 427, toroute data to and from a data network such as the Internet. In oneembodiment, software-defined router 425 also provides satellite linkstate information 423 to the operating system 422.

In one embodiment, the edge appliance communicates with nomadic devices420 (e.g., smart phones, laptop computer systems, and other portabledevices in vehicles) containing the edge appliance) via wirelesscommunication (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth). This enables devices 420 toaccess data networks, such as, for example, the Internet via the edgeappliance.

In one embodiment, communication from individual devices is improvedbased on backhaul connectivity (e.g., connectivity from the vehiclerouter to the Internet) via multiple sources including satellitecommunications, licensed wireless communications (e.g., LTE, 5G, othercellular communications), and unlicensed wireless communications (e.g.,Wi-Fi). In one embodiment, front haul connectivity, such as Wi-Fi accesspoints and wired networks, delivers services to the users and systemswithin the vehicle ecosystem. As the users and systems representdifferent data demands, and as the vehicle moves causing it to be in adynamic communications environment with varying backhaul linkavailability, SD-WAN selects the route for the user or vehicle trafficto connect to the Internet or other public data networks both for thereceipt and transmission of information.

Not all data in and out of the vehicle requires the same level ofurgency. Some data can be offloaded in time segments measured in days,hours, milliseconds, etc. In one embodiment, the SD-WAN parses this dataand intelligently decide what data is to be sent and when. This decisionmay result in determining that some data is to be sent immediately anddetermining other data can be held for the least expensive and mostlatency-tolerant way of moving data.

In one embodiment, the SD-WAN's connectivity software intelligently andpotentially optimizes routes data between the satellite transceiverantenna module hardware and other channels (including cellular LTE, 5G,V2X and Wi-Fi). Likewise, in one embodiment, the communication platformintelligently decides based on business rules such as, for example,price, latency, security, predicted/historical QoS and size whichcommunication network is the choice (e.g., optimal choice) to route thedata.

In one embodiment, the SD-WAN's connectivity software constantlydetermines the best network to use out of available networks (e.g.,satellite LEO, satellite GEO, other satellite, terrestrial 5G cellular,terrestrial 4G/LTE cellular, etc.). The SD-WAN's connectivity softwareis integrated and takes actions to maintain applications sessions. Inone embodiment, the user of the edge appliance never knows that they areswitching between networks to fulfill their communication needs. Thereis a consistent pole-to-pole ubiquitous global user experience andperformance with the same minimum quality of service. In one embodiment,the satellite system is primarily LEO with other satellite systems usedas required, and the primary terrestrial system is the best cost 5G or4G/LTE cellular network.

In one embodiment, the software defined wide area network implementationuses metrics obtained from each access technology to adaptively andcontinuously determine the best route. In addition to using physicallink characteristics, information such as one or more of traffic type,specific origination and destination of traffic, traffic patterns, datalink cost, subscription levels, and other non-physical information areutilized to dynamically adjust the active backhaul link. This enablesthe communication network services of different communication networksto be blended.

In one embodiment, as communications services are blended, the SD-WANrouter provides single data sessions for specific types of data so thatoverall quality of service and user experience is maintained. Forexample, the connectivity software of the SD-WAN router enables thecontinuity of voice over LTE (VoLTE) calls as they hand over to voiceover Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) calls. In one embodiment, as the customer's deviceconnects to the vehicle Wi-Fi network, any call placed will originate asa VoWiFi call. When the connectivity software switches the primarybackhaul link (i.e., terrestrial cellular to satellite), the SD-WANrouter ensures the continuity of the already established call. In oneembodiment, multiple data paths are initially available to enableconnectivity to the vehicle. In one embodiment, when using any of thetransport networks, a persistent secure tunnel is created across thewireless transport link. For example, if there is at least one transportlink available, the tunnel is built for routing data using a virtualendpoint. Such a secure tunnel may be used to support voice calls, andremains remain even as the transport link changes.

In one embodiment, the edge appliance includes a cache and proxy serverfor acknowledging transmissions, missing packet recovery, securing andpositioning data for vehicle disposition. The cache and proxy servershold and queue data for the Best Cost return from the vehicle to thecloud. Data, services, and infrastructure are built on a satelliteconstellation (e.g., a low earth orbit satellite constellation),distributed ground network, geostationary space segment and associatedground segment, and a network-based scalable and secure servicemanagement platform.

FIG. 5 depicts one embodiment of the architecture for an illustrativecomputing device for implementing various aspects of the edge routingfunctionality of the edge appliance in accordance with aspects of thepresent application. In one embodiment, the network routingfunctionality is part of the instantiation of virtual machine instancesor otherwise interact with network services. Alternatively, thecomputing device may a stand-alone device independent of theinstantiated virtual machines.

The general architecture of the routing functionality depicted in FIG. 5includes an arrangement of computer hardware and software componentsthat may be used to implement aspects of the present disclosure. Asillustrated, the routing functionality includes a processing unit 504, anetwork interface 506, a computer readable medium drive 508, aninput/output device interface 509, all of which may communicate with oneanother by way of a communication bus. The components of the networkrouting functionality may be physical hardware components or implementedin a virtualized environment.

The network interface 506 may provide connectivity to one or morenetworks or computing systems. In one embodiment, the network interface506 provides connectivity to one or more satellite-based networks andone or more cellular networks. In one embodiment, the network interface506 also provides connectivity to a Wi-Fi network and/or a Bluetoothconnection (or other short-range wireless communication connection). Inone embodiment, the network interface 506 also provides connectivity toa wired communication connection (e.g., a LAN). The processing unit 504may thus receive information and instructions from other computingsystems or services via a network. The processing unit 504 may alsocommunicate to and from memory 510 and further provide outputinformation. In some embodiments, the network routing functionality mayinclude more (or fewer) components than those shown in FIG. 5 .

The memory 510 may include computer program instructions that theprocessing unit 504 executes in order to implement one or moreembodiments. The memory 510 generally includes RAM, ROM, or otherpersistent or non-transitory memory. The memory 510 may store anoperating system 514 that provides computer program instructions for useby the processing unit 504 in the general administration and operationof the network routing functionality. The memory 510 may further includecomputer program instructions and other information for implementingaspects of the present disclosure. For example, in one embodiment, thememory 510 includes interface software 512 for receiving and processinginformation. Memory 510 includes a communications management component516 for configuring or managing the routing of content as describedherein.

Examples of Antenna Embodiments

The techniques described above may be used with flat panel satelliteantennas. Embodiments of such flat panel antennas are disclosed. Theflat panel antennas include one or more arrays of antenna elements on anantenna aperture. In one embodiment, the antenna aperture is ametasurface antenna aperture, such as, for example, the antennaapertures described below. In one embodiment, the antenna elementscomprise liquid crystal cells. In one embodiment, the flat panel antennais a cylindrically fed antenna that includes matrix drive circuitry touniquely address and drive each of the antenna elements that are notplaced in rows and columns. In one embodiment, the elements are placedin rings.

In one embodiment, the antenna aperture having the one or more arrays ofantenna elements is comprised of multiple segments coupled together.When coupled together, the combination of the segments form closedconcentric rings of antenna elements. In one embodiment, the concentricrings are concentric with respect to the antenna feed.

Examples of Antenna Systems

In one embodiment, the flat panel antenna is part of a metamaterialantenna system, or an antenna having a metasurface as described herein.Embodiments of a metamaterial antenna system for communicationssatellite earth stations are described. In one embodiment, the antennasystem is a component or subsystem of a satellite earth station (ES)operating on a mobile platform (e.g., aeronautical, maritime, land,etc.) that operates using either Ka-band frequencies or Ku-bandfrequencies for civil commercial satellite communications. Note thatembodiments of the antenna system also can be used in earth stationsthat are not on mobile platforms (e.g., fixed or transportable earthstations).

In one embodiment, the antenna system uses surface scatteringmetamaterial technology (e.g., antenna elements) to form and steertransmit and receive beams through separate antennas. In one embodiment,the antenna systems are analog systems, in contrast to antenna systemsthat employ digital signal processing to electrically form and steerbeams (such as phased array antennas).

In one embodiment, the antenna system is comprised of three functionalsubsystems: (1) a wave guiding structure consisting of a cylindricalwave feed architecture; (2) an array of wave scattering metamaterialunit cells that are part of antenna elements; and (3) a controlstructure to command formation of an adjustable radiation field (beam)from the metamaterial scattering elements using holographic principles.

Antenna Elements

FIG. 6 illustrates the schematic of one embodiment of a cylindricallyfed holographic radial aperture antenna. Referring to FIG. 6 , theantenna aperture has one or more arrays 601 of antenna elements 603 thatare placed in concentric rings around an input feed 602 of thecylindrically fed antenna. In one embodiment, antenna elements 603 areradio frequency (RF) resonators that radiate RF energy. In oneembodiment, antenna elements 603 comprise both Rx and Tx irises that areinterleaved and distributed on the whole surface of the antennaaperture. Such Rx and Tx irises, or slots, may be in groups of three ormore sets where each set is for a separately and simultaneouslycontrolled band. Examples of such antenna elements with irises aredescribed in greater detail below. Note that the RF resonators describedherein may be used in antennas that do not include a cylindrical feed.

In one embodiment, the antenna includes a coaxial feed that is used toprovide a cylindrical wave feed via input feed 602. In one embodiment,the cylindrical wave feed architecture feeds the antenna from a centralpoint with an excitation that spreads outward in a cylindrical mannerfrom the feed point. That is, a cylindrically fed antenna creates anoutward travelling concentric feed wave. Even so, the shape of thecylindrical feed antenna around the cylindrical feed can be circular,square or any shape. In another embodiment, a cylindrically fed antennacreates an inward travelling feed wave. In such a case, the feed wavemost naturally comes from a circular structure.

In one embodiment, antenna elements 603 comprise irises and the apertureantenna of FIG. 6 is used to generate a main beam shaped by usingexcitation from a cylindrical feed wave for radiating irises throughtunable liquid crystal (LC) material. In one embodiment, the antenna canbe excited to radiate a horizontally or vertically polarized electricfield at desired scan angles.

In one embodiment, the antenna elements comprise a group of patchantennas. This group of patch antennas comprises an array of scatteringmetamaterial elements. In one embodiment, each scattering element in theantenna system is part of a unit cell that consists of a lowerconductor, a dielectric substrate and an upper conductor that embeds acomplementary electric inductive-capacitive resonator (“complementaryelectric LC” or “CELC”) that is etched in or deposited onto the upperconductor. As would be understood by those skilled in the art, LC in thecontext of CELC refers to inductance-capacitance, as opposed to liquidcrystal.

In one embodiment, a liquid crystal (LC) is disposed in the gap aroundthe scattering element. This LC is driven by the direct driveembodiments described above. In one embodiment, liquid crystal isencapsulated in each unit cell and separates the lower conductorassociated with a slot from an upper conductor associated with itspatch. Liquid crystal has a permittivity that is a function of theorientation of the molecules comprising the liquid crystal, and theorientation of the molecules (and thus the permittivity) can becontrolled by adjusting the bias voltage across the liquid crystal.Using this property, in one embodiment, the liquid crystal integrates anon/off switch for the transmission of energy from the guided wave to theCELC. When switched on, the CELC emits an electromagnetic wave like anelectrically small dipole antenna. Note that the teachings herein arenot limited to having a liquid crystal that operates in a binary fashionwith respect to energy transmission.

In one embodiment, the feed geometry of this antenna system allows theantenna elements to be positioned at forty-five-degree (45°) angles tothe vector of the wave in the wave feed. Note that other positions maybe used (e.g., at 40° angles). This position of the elements enablescontrol of the free space wave received by or transmitted/radiated fromthe elements. In one embodiment, the antenna elements are arranged withan inter-element spacing that is less than a free-space wavelength ofthe operating frequency of the antenna. For example, if there are fourscattering elements per wavelength, the elements in the 30 GHz transmitantenna will be approximately 2.5 mm (i.e., ¼th the 10 mm free-spacewavelength of 30 GHz).

In one embodiment, the two sets of elements are perpendicular to eachother and simultaneously have equal amplitude excitation if controlledto the same tuning state. Rotating them +/−45 degrees relative to thefeed wave excitation achieves both desired features at once. Rotatingone set 0 degrees and the other 90 degrees would achieve theperpendicular goal, but not the equal amplitude excitation goal. Notethat 0 and 90 degrees may be used to achieve isolation when feeding thearray of antenna elements in a single structure from two sides.

The amount of radiated power from each unit cell is controlled byapplying a voltage to the patch (potential across the LC channel) usinga controller. Traces to each patch are used to provide the voltage tothe patch antenna. The voltage is used to tune or detune the capacitanceand thus the resonance frequency of individual elements to effectuatebeam forming. The voltage required is dependent on the liquid crystalmixture being used. The voltage tuning characteristic of liquid crystalmixtures is mainly described by a threshold voltage at which the liquidcrystal starts to be affected by the voltage and the saturation voltage,above which an increase of the voltage does not cause major tuning inliquid crystal. These two characteristic parameters can change fordifferent liquid crystal mixtures.

In one embodiment, as discussed above, a matrix drive is used to applyvoltage to the patches in order to drive each cell separately from allthe other cells without having a separate connection for each cell(direct drive). Because of the high density of elements, the matrixdrive is an efficient way to address each cell individually.

In one embodiment, the control structure for the antenna system has 2main components: the antenna array controller, which includes driveelectronics, for the antenna system, is below the wave scatteringstructure (of surface scattering antenna elements such as describedherein), while the matrix drive switching array is interspersedthroughout the radiating RF array in such a way as to not interfere withthe radiation. In one embodiment, the drive electronics for the antennasystem comprise commercial off-the shelf LCD controls used in commercialtelevision appliances that adjust the bias voltage for each scatteringelement by adjusting the amplitude or duty cycle of an AC bias signal tothat element.

In one embodiment, the antenna array controller also contains amicroprocessor executing the software. The control structure may alsoincorporate sensors (e.g., a GPS receiver, a three-axis compass, a3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyro, 3-axis magnetometer, etc.) to providelocation and orientation information to the processor. The location andorientation information may be provided to the processor by othersystems in the earth station and/or may not be part of the antennasystem.

More specifically, the antenna array controller controls which elementsare turned off and those elements turned on and at which phase andamplitude level at the frequency of operation. The elements areselectively detuned for frequency operation by voltage application.

For transmission, a controller supplies an array of voltage signals tothe RF patches to create a modulation, or control pattern. The controlpattern causes the elements to be turned to different states. In oneembodiment, multistate control is used in which various elements areturned on and off to varying levels, further approximating a sinusoidalcontrol pattern, as opposed to a square wave (i.e., a sinusoid grayshade modulation pattern). In one embodiment, some elements radiate morestrongly than others, rather than some elements radiate and some do not.Variable radiation is achieved by applying specific voltage levels,which adjusts the liquid crystal permittivity to varying amounts,thereby detuning elements variably and causing some elements to radiatemore than others.

The generation of a focused beam by the metamaterial array of elementscan be explained by the phenomenon of constructive and destructiveinterference. Individual electromagnetic waves sum up (constructiveinterference) if they have the same phase when they meet in free spaceand waves cancel each other (destructive interference) if they are inopposite phase when they meet in free space. If the slots in a slottedantenna are positioned so that each successive slot is positioned at adifferent distance from the excitation point of the guided wave, thescattered wave from that element will have a different phase than thescattered wave of the previous slot. If the slots are spaced one quarterof a guided wavelength apart, each slot will scatter a wave with a onefourth phase delay from the previous slot.

Using the array, the number of patterns of constructive and destructiveinterference that can be produced can be increased so that beams can bepointed theoretically in any direction plus or minus ninety degrees(90°) from the bore sight of the antenna array, using the principles ofholography. Thus, by controlling which metamaterial unit cells areturned on or off (i.e., by changing the pattern of which cells areturned on and which cells are turned off), a different pattern ofconstructive and destructive interference can be produced, and theantenna can change the direction of the main beam. The time required toturn the unit cells on and off dictates the speed at which the beam canbe switched from one location to another location.

In one embodiment, the antenna system produces one steerable beam forthe uplink antenna and one steerable beam for the downlink antenna. Inone embodiment, the antenna system uses metamaterial technology toreceive beams and to decode signals from the satellite and to formtransmit beams that are directed toward the satellite. In oneembodiment, the antenna systems are analog systems, in contrast toantenna systems that employ digital signal processing to electricallyform and steer beams (such as phased array antennas). In one embodiment,the antenna system is considered a “surface” antenna that is planar andrelatively low profile, especially when compared to conventionalsatellite dish receivers.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of one row of antenna elementsthat includes a ground plane and a reconfigurable resonator layer.Reconfigurable resonator layer 1230 includes an array of tunable slots1210. The array of tunable slots 1210 can be configured to point theantenna in a desired direction. Each of the tunable slots can betuned/adjusted by varying a voltage across the liquid crystal.

Control module, or controller, 1280 is coupled to reconfigurableresonator layer 1230 to modulate the array of tunable slots 1210 byvarying the voltage across the liquid crystal in FIG. 8A. Control module1280 may include a Field Programmable Gate Array (“FPGA”), amicroprocessor, a controller, System-on-a-Chip (SoC), or otherprocessing logic. In one embodiment, control module 1280 includes logiccircuitry (e.g., multiplexer) to drive the array of tunable slots 1210.In one embodiment, control module 1280 receives data that includesspecifications for a holographic diffraction pattern to be driven ontothe array of tunable slots 1210. The holographic diffraction patternsmay be generated in response to a spatial relationship between theantenna and a satellite so that the holographic diffraction patternsteers the downlink beams (and uplink beam if the antenna systemperforms transmit) in the appropriate direction for communication.Although not drawn in each figure, a control module similar to controlmodule 1280 may drive each array of tunable slots described in thefigures of the disclosure.

Radio Frequency (“RF”) holography is also possible using analogoustechniques where a desired RF beam can be generated when an RF referencebeam encounters an RF holographic diffraction pattern. In the case ofsatellite communications, the reference beam is in the form of a feedwave, such as feed wave 1205 (approximately 20 GHz in some embodiments).To transform a feed wave into a radiated beam (either for transmittingor receiving purposes), an interference pattern is calculated betweenthe desired RF beam (the object beam) and the feed wave (the referencebeam). The interference pattern is driven onto the array of tunableslots 1210 as a diffraction pattern so that the feed wave is “steered”into the desired RF beam (having the desired shape and direction). Inother words, the feed wave encountering the holographic diffractionpattern “reconstructs” the object beam, which is formed according todesign requirements of the communication system. The holographicdiffraction pattern contains the excitation of each element and iscalculated by w_(hologram)=w*_(in)w_(out), with w_(in) as the waveequation in the waveguide and w_(out) the wave equation on the outgoingwave.

FIG. 8A illustrates one embodiment of a tunable resonator/slot 1210.Tunable slot 1210 includes an iris/slot 1212, a radiating patch 1211,and liquid crystal 1213 disposed between iris 1212 and patch 1211. Inone embodiment, radiating patch 1211 is co-located with iris 1212.

FIG. 8B illustrates a cross section view of one embodiment of a physicalantenna aperture. The antenna aperture includes ground plane 1245, and ametal layer 1236 within iris layer 1233, which is included inreconfigurable resonator layer 1230. In one embodiment, the antennaaperture of FIG. 8B includes a plurality of tunable resonator/slots 1210of FIG. 8A. Iris/slot 1212 is defined by openings in metal layer 1236. Afeed wave, such as feed wave 1205 of FIG. 8A, may have a microwavefrequency compatible with satellite communication channels. The feedwave propagates between ground plane 1245 and resonator layer 1230.

Reconfigurable resonator layer 1230 also includes gasket layer 1232 andpatch layer 1231. Gasket layer 1232 is disposed between patch layer 1231and iris layer 1233. Note that in one embodiment, a spacer could replacegasket layer 1232. In one embodiment, iris layer 1233 is a printedcircuit board (“PCB”) that includes a copper layer as metal layer 1236.In one embodiment, iris layer 1233 is glass. Iris layer 1233 may beother types of substrates.

Openings may be etched in the copper layer to form slots 1212. In oneembodiment, iris layer 1233 is conductively coupled by a conductivebonding layer to another structure (e.g., a waveguide) in FIG. 8B. Notethat in an embodiment the iris layer is not conductively coupled by aconductive bonding layer and is instead interfaced with a non-conductingbonding layer.

Patch layer 1231 may also be a PCB that includes metal as radiatingpatches 1211. In one embodiment, gasket layer 1232 includes spacers 1239that provide a mechanical standoff to define the dimension between metallayer 1236 and patch 1211. In one embodiment, the spacers are 75microns, but other sizes may be used (e.g., 3-200 mm). As mentionedabove, in one embodiment, the antenna aperture of FIG. 8B includesmultiple tunable resonator/slots, such as tunable resonator/slot 1210includes patch 1211, liquid crystal 1213, and iris 1212 of FIG. 8A. Thechamber for liquid crystal 1213 is defined by spacers 1239, iris layer1233 and metal layer 1236. When the chamber is filled with liquidcrystal, patch layer 1231 can be laminated onto spacers 1239 to sealliquid crystal within resonator layer 1230.

A voltage between patch layer 1231 and iris layer 1233 can be modulatedto tune the liquid crystal in the gap between the patch and the slots(e.g., tunable resonator/slot 1210). Adjusting the voltage across liquidcrystal 1213 varies the capacitance of a slot (e.g., tunableresonator/slot 1210). Accordingly, the reactance of a slot (e.g.,tunable resonator/slot 1210) can be varied by changing the capacitance.Resonant frequency of slot 1210 also changes according to the equation

$f = \frac{1}{2\pi\sqrt{LC}}$where f is the resonant frequency of slot 1210 and L and C are theinductance and capacitance of slot 1210, respectively. The resonantfrequency of slot 1210 affects the energy radiated from feed wave 1205propagating through the waveguide. As an example, if feed wave 1205 is20 GHz, the resonant frequency of a slot 1210 may be adjusted (byvarying the capacitance) to 17 GHz so that the slot 1210 couplessubstantially no energy from feed wave 1205. Or, the resonant frequencyof a slot 1210 may be adjusted to 20 GHz so that the slot 1210 couplesenergy from feed wave 1205 and radiates that energy into free space.Although the examples given are binary (fully radiating or not radiatingat all), full gray scale control of the reactance, and therefore theresonant frequency of slot 1210 is possible with voltage variance over amulti-valued range. Hence, the energy radiated from each slot 1210 canbe finely controlled so that detailed holographic diffraction patternscan be formed by the array of tunable slots.

In one embodiment, tunable slots in a row are spaced from each other byλ/5. Other spacings may be used. In one embodiment, each tunable slot ina row is spaced from the closest tunable slot in an adjacent row by λ/2,and, thus, commonly oriented tunable slots in different rows are spacedby λ/4, though other spacings are possible (e.g., λ/5, λ/6.3). Inanother embodiment, each tunable slot in a row is spaced from theclosest tunable slot in an adjacent row by λ/3.

Embodiments use reconfigurable metamaterial technology, such asdescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/550,178, entitled“Dynamic Polarization and Coupling Control from a SteerableCylindrically Fed Holographic Antenna”, filed Nov. 21, 2014 and U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/610,502, entitled “Ridged Waveguide FeedStructures for Reconfigurable Antenna”, filed Jan. 30, 2015.

FIGS. 9A-D illustrate one embodiment of the different layers forcreating the slotted array. The antenna array includes antenna elementsthat are positioned in rings, such as the example rings shown in FIG. 6. Note that in this example the antenna array has two different types ofantenna elements that are used for two different types of frequencybands.

FIG. 9A illustrates a portion of the first iris board layer withlocations corresponding to the slots. Referring to FIG. 9A, the circlesare open areas/slots in the metallization in the bottom side of the irissubstrate, and are for controlling the coupling of elements to the feed(the feed wave). Note that this layer is an optional layer and is notused in all designs. FIG. 9B illustrates a portion of the second irisboard layer containing slots. FIG. 9C illustrates patches over a portionof the second iris board layer. FIG. 9D illustrates a top view of aportion of the slotted array.

FIG. 10 illustrates a side view of one embodiment of a cylindrically fedantenna structure. The antenna produces an inwardly travelling waveusing a double layer feed structure (i.e., two layers of a feedstructure). In one embodiment, the antenna includes a circular outershape, though this is not required. That is, non-circular inwardtravelling structures can be used. In one embodiment, the antennastructure in FIG. 10 includes a coaxial feed, such as, for example,described in U.S. Publication No. 2015/0236412, entitled “DynamicPolarization and Coupling Control from a Steerable Cylindrically FedHolographic Antenna”, filed on Nov. 21, 2014.

Referring to FIG. 10 , a coaxial pin 1601 is used to excite the field onthe lower level of the antenna. In one embodiment, coaxial pin 1601 is a50Ω coax pin that is readily available. Coaxial pin 1601 is coupled(e.g., bolted) to the bottom of the antenna structure, which isconducting ground plane 1602.

Separate from conducting ground plane 1602 is interstitial conductor1603, which is an internal conductor. In one embodiment, conductingground plane 1602 and interstitial conductor 1603 are parallel to eachother. In one embodiment, the distance between ground plane 1602 andinterstitial conductor 1603 is 0.1-0.15″. In another embodiment, thisdistance may be μ/2, where μ is the wavelength of the travelling wave atthe frequency of operation.

Ground plane 1602 is separated from interstitial conductor 1603 via aspacer 1604. In one embodiment, spacer 1604 is a foam or air-likespacer. In one embodiment, spacer 1604 comprises a plastic spacer.

On top of interstitial conductor 1603 is dielectric layer 1605. In oneembodiment, dielectric layer 1605 is plastic. The purpose of dielectriclayer 1605 is to slow the travelling wave relative to free spacevelocity. In one embodiment, dielectric layer 1605 slows the travellingwave by 30% relative to free space. In one embodiment, the range ofindices of refraction that are suitable for beam forming are 1.2-1.8,where free space has by definition an index of refraction equal to 1.Other dielectric spacer materials, such as, for example, plastic, may beused to achieve this effect. Note that materials other than plastic maybe used as long as they achieve the desired wave slowing effect.Alternatively, a material with distributed structures may be used asdielectric 1605, such as periodic sub-wavelength metallic structuresthat can be machined or lithographically defined, for example.

An RF-array 1606 is on top of dielectric 1605. In one embodiment, thedistance between interstitial conductor 1603 and RF-array 1606 is0.1-0.15″. In another embodiment, this distance may be λ_(eff)/2, whereλ_(eff) is the effective wavelength in the medium at the designfrequency.

The antenna includes sides 1607 and 1608. Sides 1607 and 1608 are angledto cause a travelling wave feed from coax pin 1601 to be propagated fromthe area below interstitial conductor 1603 (the spacer layer) to thearea above interstitial conductor 1603 (the dielectric layer) viareflection. In one embodiment, the angle of sides 1607 and 1608 are at45° angles. In an alternative embodiment, sides 1607 and 1608 could bereplaced with a continuous radius to achieve the reflection. While FIG.10 shows angled sides that have angle of 45 degrees, other angles thataccomplish signal transmission from lower level feed to upper level feedmay be used. That is, given that the effective wavelength in the lowerfeed will generally be different than in the upper feed, some deviationfrom the ideal 45° angles could be used to aid transmission from thelower to the upper feed level. For example, in another embodiment, the45° angles are replaced with a single step. The steps on one end of theantenna go around the dielectric layer, interstitial the conductor, andthe spacer layer. The same two steps are at the other ends of theselayers.

In operation, when a feed wave is fed in from coaxial pin 1601, the wavetravels outward concentrically oriented from coaxial pin 1601 in thearea between ground plane 1602 and interstitial conductor 1603. Theconcentrically outgoing waves are reflected by sides 1607 and 1608 andtravel inwardly in the area between interstitial conductor 1603 and RFarray 1606. The reflection from the edge of the circular perimetercauses the wave to remain in phase (i.e., it is an in-phase reflection).The travelling wave is slowed by dielectric layer 1605. At this point,the travelling wave starts interacting and exciting with elements in RFarray 1606 to obtain the desired scattering.

To terminate the travelling wave, a termination 1609 is included in theantenna at the geometric center of the antenna. In one embodiment,termination 1609 comprises a pin termination (e.g., a 50Ω pin). Inanother embodiment, termination 1609 comprises an RF absorber thatterminates unused energy to prevent reflections of that unused energyback through the feed structure of the antenna. These could be used atthe top of RF array 1606.

FIG. 11 illustrates another embodiment of the antenna system with anoutgoing wave. Referring to FIG. 11 , two ground planes 1610 and 1611are substantially parallel to each other with a dielectric layer 1612(e.g., a plastic layer, etc.) in between ground planes. RF absorbers1619 (e.g., resistors) couple the two ground planes 1610 and 1611together. A coaxial pin 1615 (e.g., 50Ω) feeds the antenna. An RF array1616 is on top of dielectric layer 1612 and ground plane 1611.

In operation, a feed wave is fed through coaxial pin 1615 and travelsconcentrically outward and interacts with the elements of RF array 1616.

The cylindrical feed in both the antennas of FIGS. 10 and 11 improvesthe service angle of the antenna. Instead of a service angle of plus orminus forty-five degrees azimuth (±45° Az) and plus or minus twenty-fivedegrees elevation (±25° El), in one embodiment, the antenna system has aservice angle of seventy-five degrees (75°) from the bore sight in alldirections. As with any beam forming antenna comprised of manyindividual radiators, the overall antenna gain is dependent on the gainof the constituent elements, which themselves are angle-dependent. Whenusing common radiating elements, the overall antenna gain typicallydecreases as the beam is pointed further off bore sight. At 75 degreesoff bore sight, significant gain degradation of about 6 dB is expected.

Embodiments of the antenna having a cylindrical feed solve one or moreproblems. These include dramatically simplifying the feed structurecompared to antennas fed with a corporate divider network and thereforereducing total required antenna and antenna feed volume; decreasingsensitivity to manufacturing and control errors by maintaining high beamperformance with coarser controls (extending all the way to simplebinary control); giving a more advantageous side lobe pattern comparedto rectilinear feeds because the cylindrically oriented feed wavesresult in spatially diverse side lobes in the far field; and allowingpolarization to be dynamic, including allowing left-hand circular,right-hand circular, and linear polarizations, while not requiring apolarizer.

Array of Wave Scattering Elements

RF array 1606 of FIG. 10 and RF array 1616 of FIG. 11 include a wavescattering subsystem that includes a group of patch antennas (e.g.,scatterers) that act as radiators. This group of patch antennascomprises an array of scattering metamaterial elements.

In one embodiment, each scattering element in the antenna system is partof a unit cell that consists of a lower conductor, a dielectricsubstrate and an upper conductor that embeds a complementary electricinductive-capacitive resonator (“complementary electric LC” or “CELL”)that is etched in or deposited onto the upper conductor.

In one embodiment, a liquid crystal (LC) is injected in the gap aroundthe scattering element. Liquid crystal is encapsulated in each unit celland separates the lower conductor associated with a slot from an upperconductor associated with its patch. Liquid crystal has a permittivitythat is a function of the orientation of the molecules comprising theliquid crystal, and the orientation of the molecules (and thus thepermittivity) can be controlled by adjusting the bias voltage across theliquid crystal. Using this property, the liquid crystal acts as anon/off switch for the transmission of energy from the guided wave to theCELC. When switched on, the CELC emits an electromagnetic wave like anelectrically small dipole antenna.

Controlling the thickness of the LC increases the beam switching speed.A fifty percent (50%) reduction in the gap between the lower and theupper conductor (the thickness of the liquid crystal) results in afourfold increase in speed. In another embodiment, the thickness of theliquid crystal results in a beam switching speed of approximatelyfourteen milliseconds (14 ms). In one embodiment, the LC is doped in amanner well-known in the art to improve responsiveness so that a sevenmillisecond (7 ms) requirement can be met.

The CELC element is responsive to a magnetic field that is appliedparallel to the plane of the CELC element and perpendicular to the CELCgap complement. When a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal in themetamaterial scattering unit cell, the magnetic field component of theguided wave induces a magnetic excitation of the CELC, which, in turn,produces an electromagnetic wave in the same frequency as the guidedwave.

The phase of the electromagnetic wave generated by a single CELC can beselected by the position of the CELC on the vector of the guided wave.Each cell generates a wave in phase with the guided wave parallel to theCELC. Because the CELCs are smaller than the wave length, the outputwave has the same phase as the phase of the guided wave as it passesbeneath the CELC.

In one embodiment, the cylindrical feed geometry of this antenna systemallows the CELC elements to be positioned at forty-five-degree (45°)angles to the vector of the wave in the wave feed. This position of theelements enables control of the polarization of the free space wavegenerated from or received by the elements. In one embodiment, the CELCsare arranged with an inter-element spacing that is less than afree-space wavelength of the operating frequency of the antenna. Forexample, if there are four scattering elements per wavelength, theelements in the 30 GHz transmit antenna will be approximately 2.5 mm(i.e., ¼th the 10 mm free-space wavelength of 30 GHz).

In one embodiment, the CELCs are implemented with patch antennas thatinclude a patch co-located over a slot with liquid crystal between thetwo. In this respect, the metamaterial antenna acts like a slotted(scattering) wave guide. With a slotted wave guide, the phase of theoutput wave depends on the location of the slot in relation to theguided wave.

Cell Placement

In one embodiment, the antenna elements are placed on the cylindricalfeed antenna aperture in a way that allows for a systematic matrix drivecircuit. The placement of the cells includes placement of thetransistors for the matrix drive. FIG. 12 illustrates one embodiment ofthe placement of matrix drive circuitry with respect to antennaelements. Referring to FIG. 12 , row controller 1701 is coupled totransistors 1711 and 1712, via row select signals Row1 and Row2,respectively, and column controller 1702 is coupled to transistors 1711and 1712 via column select signal Column1. Transistor 1711 is alsocoupled to antenna element 1721 via connection to patch 1731, whiletransistor 1712 is coupled to antenna element 1722 via connection topatch 1732.

In an initial approach to realize matrix drive circuitry on thecylindrical feed antenna with unit cells placed in a non-regular grid,two steps are performed. In the first step, the cells are placed onconcentric rings and each of the cells is connected to a transistor thatis placed beside the cell and acts as a switch to drive each cellseparately. In the second step, the matrix drive circuitry is built inorder to connect every transistor with a unique address as the matrixdrive approach requires. Because the matrix drive circuit is built byrow and column traces (similar to LCDs) but the cells are placed onrings, there is no systematic way to assign a unique address to eachtransistor. This mapping problem results in very complex circuitry tocover all the transistors and leads to a significant increase in thenumber of physical traces to accomplish the routing. Because of the highdensity of cells, those traces disturb the RF performance of the antennadue to coupling effect. Also, due to the complexity of traces and highpacking density, the routing of the traces cannot be accomplished bycommercially available layout tools.

In one embodiment, the matrix drive circuitry is predefined before thecells and transistors are placed. This ensures a minimum number oftraces that are necessary to drive all the cells, each with a uniqueaddress. This strategy reduces the complexity of the drive circuitry andsimplifies the routing, which subsequently improves the RF performanceof the antenna.

More specifically, in one approach, in the first step, the cells areplaced on a regular rectangular grid composed of rows and columns thatdescribe the unique address of each cell. In the second step, the cellsare grouped and transformed to concentric circles while maintainingtheir address and connection to the rows and columns as defined in thefirst step. A goal of this transformation is not only to put the cellson rings but also to keep the distance between cells and the distancebetween rings constant over the entire aperture. In order to accomplishthis goal, there are several ways to group the cells.

In one embodiment, a TFT package is used to enable placement and uniqueaddressing in the matrix drive. FIG. 13 illustrates one embodiment of aTFT package. Referring to FIG. 13 , a TFT and a hold capacitor 1803 isshown with input and output ports. There are two input ports connectedto traces 1801 and two output ports connected to traces 1802 to connectthe TFTs together using the rows and columns. In one embodiment, the rowand column traces cross in 90° angles to reduce, and potentiallyminimize, the coupling between the row and column traces. In oneembodiment, the row and column traces are on different layers.

An Example of a Full Duplex Communication System

In another embodiment, the combined antenna apertures are used in a fullduplex communication system. FIG. 14 is a block diagram of an embodimentof a communication system having simultaneous transmit and receivepaths. While only one transmit path and one receive path are shown, thecommunication system may include more than one transmit path and/or morethan one receive path.

Referring to FIG. 14 , antenna 1401 includes two spatially interleavedantenna arrays operable independently to transmit and receivesimultaneously at different frequencies as described above. In oneembodiment, antenna 1401 is coupled to diplexer 1445. The coupling maybe by one or more feeding networks. In one embodiment, in the case of aradial feed antenna, diplexer 1445 combines the two signals and theconnection between antenna 1401 and diplexer 1445 is a single broad-bandfeeding network that can carry both frequencies.

Diplexer 1445 is coupled to a low noise block down converter (LNBs)1427, which performs a noise filtering function and a down conversionand amplification function in a manner well-known in the art. In oneembodiment, LNB 1427 is in an out-door unit (ODU). In anotherembodiment, LNB 1427 is integrated into the antenna apparatus. LNB 1427is coupled to a modem 1460, which is coupled to computing system 1440(e.g., a computer system, modem, etc.).

Modem 1460 includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 1422, which iscoupled to LNB 1427, to convert the received signal output from diplexer1445 into digital format. Once converted to digital format, the signalis demodulated by demodulator 1423 and decoded by decoder 1424 to obtainthe encoded data on the received wave. The decoded data is then sent tocontroller 1425, which sends it to computing system 1440.

Modem 1460 also includes an encoder 1430 that encodes data to betransmitted from computing system 1440. The encoded data is modulated bymodulator 1431 and then converted to analog by digital-to-analogconverter (DAC) 1432. The analog signal is then filtered by a BUC(up-convert and high pass amplifier) 1433 and provided to one port ofdiplexer 1445. In one embodiment, BUC 1433 is in an out-door unit (ODU).

Diplexer 1445 operating in a manner well-known in the art provides thetransmit signal to antenna 1401 for transmission.

Controller 1450 controls antenna 1401, including the two arrays ofantenna elements on the single combined physical aperture.

The communication system would be modified to include thecombiner/arbiter described above. In such a case, the combiner/arbiterafter the modem but before the BUC and LNB.

Note that the full duplex communication system shown in FIG. 14 has anumber of applications, including but not limited to, internetcommunication, vehicle communication (including software updating), etc.

There are a number of example embodiments described herein.

Example 1 is a communications framework comprising: an edge appliancecomprising a satellite modem interconnect for coupling to a satellitemodem external to the edge appliance, a cellular modem interconnect forcoupling to a cellular modem external to the edge appliance, a switchcoupled to the satellite and cellular modem interconnects, and aprocessing node coupled to the switch and comprising a router to switchtraffic between the satellite modem interconnect and the cellular modeminterconnect when the edge appliance communicates with a public datanetwork using a satellite link or a terrestrial cellular link,respectively; and a connectivity platform configured for connection tothe edge appliance, the connectivity platform comprising abroker/integrator component configured to operate as a broker and anintegrator between the edge appliance and both connectivity serviceproviders and business support systems that perform subscriptionmanagement to enable the edge appliance access to the satellite andterrestrial cellular links.

Example 2 is the communications framework of example 1 that mayoptionally include that the processing node is configured to switchbetween use of the satellite and terrestrial cellular links when theedge appliance is mobile to maintain a connection to the data network.

Example 3 is the communications framework of example 1 that mayoptionally include that the connectivity platform comprises acloud-based microservices architecture.

Example 4 is the communications framework of example 3 that mayoptionally include that the microservices architecture provides virtualnetwork functions (VNFs).

Example 5 is the communications framework of example 4 that mayoptionally include that the VNFs comprise wide area network (WAN)optimization, content management, dynamic routing policies for the edgeappliance.

Example 6 is the communications framework of example 3 that mayoptionally include that the microservices architecture comprises anetwork management enclave to make routing decisions for the edgeappliance based on traffic shaping and steering.

Example 7 is the communications framework of example 6 that mayoptionally include that the traffic shaping and steering comprisessoftware-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) traffic shaping andsteering.

Example 8 is the communications framework of example 6 that mayoptionally include that the traffic shaping and steering is based oncontent and data type.

Example 9 is the communications framework of example 6 that mayoptionally include that the software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN)traffic shaping and steering is operable to identify traffic demand fora type of content and determine whether the to the satellite link or theterrestrial cellular link is to route the type of content.

Example 10 is the communications framework of example 3 that mayoptionally include that the microservices architecture comprises aplurality of enclaves configured to control the edge appliance via adirect interface to the broker/integrator component, the plurality ofenclaves comprising: a network management enclave to provide networkmanagement for interfacing the edge appliance to the public datanetwork, including logic to make routing decisions for the edgeappliance based on traffic shaping and steering; an applicationmanagement enclave to provide data management and content management forinterfacing the edge appliance to the public data network; and asecurity management enclave to provide security management forinterfacing the edge appliance to the public data network.

Example 11 is the communications framework of example 1 that mayoptionally include that the router is configured to maintain connectionto the public data network by switching traffic between the satellitemodem interconnect and the cellular modem interconnect prior to when theedge appliance arrives at a location in response to predicting that aconnection to one of either the satellite link or the terrestrialcellular link will not be available when the edge appliance is at thelocation.

Example 12 is the communications framework of example 1 that mayoptionally include that the edge appliance further comprises acommunication interface for access by a local network.

Example 13 is the communications framework of example 12 that mayoptionally include that the communication interface comprises aBluetooth interface, a Wi-Fi interface or a direct Ethernet interface.

Example 14 is the communications framework of example 1 that mayoptionally include that the edge appliance is communicably connectedsimultaneously to a satellite link using the satellite modeminterconnect and to a terrestrial cellular link using cellular modeminterconnect when switching traffic being communicated between the edgeappliance and the public data network.

Example 15 is the communications framework of example 1 that mayoptionally include that the router is configured to switch traffic basedon conditions of the satellite link and the terrestrial cellular link.

Example 16 is the communications framework of example 15 that mayoptionally include that the conditions comprise link performancemetrics.

Example 17 is the communications framework of example 1 that mayoptionally include a terminal having a satellite modem; and an antennaaperture coupled to the satellite modem, wherein the antenna aperture ispart of an electronically scanned antenna, a gimballed, parabolic dishantenna, or a software defined antenna.

Example 18 is a communications framework comprising: an edge appliancecomprising a satellite modem interconnect for coupling to a satellitemodem external to the edge appliance, a cellular modem interconnect forcoupling to a cellular modem external to the edge appliance, a switchcoupled to the satellite and cellular modem interconnects, and aprocessing node coupled to the switch and comprising a router to switchtraffic between the satellite modem interconnect and the cellular modeminterconnect when the edge appliance communicates with a public datanetwork using a satellite link or a terrestrial cellular link,respectively; a connectivity platform configured for connection to theedge appliance, the connectivity platform comprising a broker/integratorcomponent configured to operate as a broker and an integrator betweenthe edge appliance and both connectivity service providers and businesssupport systems that perform subscription management to enable the edgeappliance access to the satellite and terrestrial cellular links, and amicroservices architecture with a plurality of enclaves configured tocontrol the edge appliance via a direct interface to thebroker/integrator component, the plurality of enclaves comprising anetwork management enclave to provide network management for interfacingthe edge appliance to the public data network, including logic to makerouting decisions for the edge appliance based on traffic shaping andsteering, an application management enclave to provide data managementand content management for interfacing the edge appliance to the publicdata network, and a security management enclave to provide securitymanagement for interfacing the edge appliance to the public datanetwork; and a terminal communicably coupled to the edge appliance, theterminal having a satellite modem and an antenna aperture coupled to thesatellite modem.

Example 19 is the communications framework of example 18 that mayoptionally include that the traffic shaping and steering comprisessoftware-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) traffic shaping andsteering.

Example 20 is the communications framework of example 18 that mayoptionally include that the traffic shaping and steering is based oncontent and data type.

Example 21 is the communications framework of example 18 that mayoptionally include that the software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN)traffic shaping and steering is operable to identify traffic demand fora type of content and determine whether the to the satellite link or theterrestrial cellular link is to route the type of content.

Example 22 is the communications framework of example 18 that mayoptionally include that the terminal is coupled to a vehicle.

Depending on the embodiment, certain acts, events, or functions of anyof the processes or algorithms described herein can be performed in adifferent sequence, can be added, merged, or left out altogether (e.g.,not all described operations or events are necessary for the practice ofthe algorithm). Moreover, in certain embodiments, operations or eventscan be performed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threaded processing,interrupt processing, or multiple processors or processor cores or onother parallel architectures, rather than sequentially.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, routines, andalgorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosedherein can be implemented as electronic hardware (e.g., ASICs or FPGAdevices), computer software that runs on computer hardware, orcombinations of both. Moreover, the various illustrative logical blocksand modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosedherein can be implemented or performed by a machine, such as a processordevice, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) orother programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic,discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed toperform the functions described herein. A processor device can be amicroprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor device can be acontroller, microcontroller, or state machine, combinations of the same,or the like. A processor device can include electrical circuitryconfigured to process computer-executable instructions. In anotherembodiment, a processor device includes an FPGA or other programmabledevice that performs logic operations without processingcomputer-executable instructions. A processor device can also beimplemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combinationof a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one ormore microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration. Although described herein primarily with respect todigital technology, a processor device may also include primarily analogcomponents. For example, some or all of the rendering techniquesdescribed herein may be implemented in analog circuitry or mixed analogand digital circuitry. A computing environment can include any type ofcomputer system, including, but not limited to, a computer system basedon a microprocessor, a mainframe computer, a digital signal processor, aportable computing device, a device controller, or a computationalengine within an appliance, to name a few.

The elements of a method, process, routine, or algorithm described inconnection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be embodieddirectly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processordevice, or in a combination of the two. A software module can reside inRAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory,registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium. An exemplary storagemedium can be coupled to the processor device such that the processordevice can read information from, and write information to, the storagemedium. In the alternative, the storage medium can be integral to theprocessor device. The processor device and the storage medium can residein an ASIC. The ASIC can reside in a user terminal. In the alternative,the processor device and the storage medium can reside as discretecomponents in a user terminal.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,”“might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically statedotherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, isgenerally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, whileother embodiments do not include, certain features, elements or steps.Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply thatfeatures, elements or steps are in any way required for one or moreembodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logicfor deciding, with or without other input or prompting, whether thesefeatures, elements or steps are included or are to be performed in anyparticular embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,”and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively, in an open-endedfashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts,operations, and so forth. Also, the term “or” is used in its inclusivesense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used, for example,to connect a list of elements, the term “or” means one, some, or all ofthe elements in the list.

Disjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, or Z,”unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with thecontext as used in general to present that an item, term, etc., may beeither X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, or Z). Thus,such disjunctive language is not generally intended to, and should not,imply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, at least oneof Y, and at least one of Z to each be present.

While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointedout novel features as applied to various embodiments, it can beunderstood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in theform and details of the devices or algorithms illustrated can be madewithout departing from the spirit of the disclosure. As can berecognized, certain embodiments described herein can be embodied withina form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forthherein, as some features can be used or practiced separately fromothers. The scope of certain embodiments disclosed herein is indicatedby the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

We claim:
 1. A communications framework comprising: an edge appliancecomprising a satellite modem interconnect for coupling to a satellitemodem external to the edge appliance, a cellular modem interconnect forcommunicably coupling to a cellular modem external to the edgeappliance, a switch coupled to the satellite and cellular modeminterconnects, a processing node coupled to the switch and comprising arouter to switch traffic between the satellite modem interconnect andthe cellular modem interconnect when the edge appliance communicateswith a public data network using one or both of a satellite link and aterrestrial cellular link, respectively, wherein the router includesrouting logic operable to divide up network traffic for routing androute different portions of the network traffic using both the satellitelink and the terrestrial link concurrently to send the network traffic,a wide area network (SD-WAN) to manage connectivity between thesatellite and terrestrial cellular links by maintaining connectivity inboth the satellite and terrestrial cellular links concurrently andenabling a seamless transition when switching traffic between thesatellite and terrestrial cellular links without switching or breakingsessions; and a connectivity platform comprising a cloud-basedmicroservices architecture with a plurality of microservices in enclavesexecuted by autonomous agents and configured for connection to the edgeappliance, the connectivity platform comprising a broker/integratorcomponent configured to operate as a broker and an integrator betweenthe edge appliance and both connectivity service providers and businesssupport systems that perform subscription management to enable the edgeappliance access to the satellite and terrestrial cellular links, and aplurality of virtual network functions (VNFs), including VNFs for widearea network (WAN) optimization, content management, dynamic routingpolicies for managing the edge appliance remotely and autonomously, thedynamic routing policies implementing business-rule driven routingdecisions.
 2. The communications framework of claim 1 wherein theprocessing node is configured to switch between use of the satellite andterrestrial cellular links when the edge appliance is mobile to maintaina connection to the data network.
 3. The communications framework ofclaim 1 wherein the microservices architecture comprises a networkmanagement enclave to make routing decisions for the edge appliancebased on traffic shaping and steering.
 4. The communications frameworkof claim 3 wherein the traffic shaping and steering comprisessoftware-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) traffic shaping andsteering.
 5. The communications framework of claim 3 wherein the trafficshaping and steering is based on content and data type.
 6. Thecommunications framework of claim 4 wherein the software-defined widearea network (SD-WAN) traffic shaping and steering is operable toidentify traffic demand for a type of content and determine whether theto the satellite link or the terrestrial cellular link is to route thetype of content.
 7. The communications framework of claim 1 wherein themicroservices architecture comprises a plurality of enclaves configuredto control the edge appliance via a direct interface to thebroker/integrator component, the plurality of enclaves comprising: anetwork management enclave to provide network management for interfacingthe edge appliance to the public data network, including logic to makerouting decisions for the edge appliance based on traffic shaping andsteering; an application management enclave to provide data managementand content management for interfacing the edge appliance to the publicdata network; and a security management enclave to provide securitymanagement for interfacing the edge appliance to the public datanetwork.
 8. The communications framework of claim 1 wherein the routeris configured to maintain connection to the public data network byswitching traffic between the satellite modem interconnect and thecellular modem interconnect prior to when the edge appliance arrives ata location in response to predicting that a connection to one of eitherthe satellite link or the terrestrial cellular link will not beavailable when the edge appliance is at the location.
 9. Thecommunications framework of claim 1 wherein the edge appliance furthercomprises a communication interface for access by a local network. 10.The communications framework of claim 9 wherein the communicationinterface comprises a Bluetooth interface, a Wi-Fi interface or a directEthernet interface.
 11. The communications framework of claim 1 whereinthe edge appliance is communicably connected simultaneously to asatellite link using the satellite modem interconnect and to aterrestrial cellular link using cellular modem interconnect whenswitching traffic being communicated between the edge appliance and thepublic data network.
 12. The communications framework of claim 1 whereinthe router is configured to switch traffic based on conditions of thesatellite link and the terrestrial cellular link.
 13. The communicationsframework of claim 12 wherein the conditions comprise link performancemetrics.
 14. The communications framework of claim 1 further comprisinga terminal having a satellite modem; and flat-panelelectronically-steerable antenna aperture coupled to the satellitemodem.
 15. A communications framework comprising: an edge appliancecomprising a satellite modem interconnect for communicably coupling to asatellite modem external to the edge appliance, a cellular modeminterconnect for communicably coupling to a cellular modem external tothe edge appliance, a switch coupled to the satellite and cellular modeminterconnects, a processing node coupled to the switch and comprising arouter to switch traffic between the satellite modem interconnect andthe cellular modem interconnect when the edge appliance communicateswith a public data network using a satellite link or a terrestrialcellular link, respectively, wherein the router includes routing logicoperable to divide up network traffic for routing and route differentportions of the network traffic using both the satellite link and theterrestrial link simultaneously to send the network traffic, a wide areanetwork (SD-WAN) to manage connectivity between the satellite andterrestrial cellular links by maintaining connectivity in both thesatellite and terrestrial cellular links concurrently and enabling aseamless transition when switching traffic between the satellite andterrestrial cellular links without switching or breaking sessions; aconnectivity platform configured for connection to the edge appliance,the connectivity platform comprising a broker/integrator componentconfigured to operate as a broker and an integrator between the edgeappliance and both connectivity service providers and business supportsystems that perform subscription management to enable the edgeappliance access to the satellite and terrestrial cellular links, and amicroservices architecture with a plurality of microservices in aplurality of enclaves executed by autonomous agents and configured tocontrol the edge appliance via a direct interface to thebroker/integrator component, the plurality of enclaves comprising anetwork management enclave to provide network management for interfacingthe edge appliance to the public data network, including logic to makebusiness rule-driven routing decisions for the edge appliance fordynamic routing of traffic based on business-rule driven routingdecisions and for routing traffic based on traffic shaping and steering,an application management enclave to provide data management and contentmanagement for interfacing the edge appliance to the public datanetwork, and a security management enclave to provide securitymanagement for interfacing the edge appliance to the public datanetwork; and a terminal communicably coupled to the edge appliance, theterminal having a satellite modem and flat-panelelectronically-steerable antenna aperture coupled to the satellitemodem.
 16. The communications framework of claim 15 wherein the trafficshaping and steering comprises software-defined wide area network(SD-WAN) traffic shaping and steering.
 17. The communications frameworkof claim 15 wherein the traffic shaping and steering is based on contentand data type.
 18. The communications framework of claim 16 wherein thesoftware-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) traffic shaping and steeringis operable to identify traffic demand for a type of content anddetermine whether the satellite link or the terrestrial cellular link isto route the type of content.
 19. The communications framework of claim15 wherein the terminal is coupled to a vehicle.